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Friday, January 17, 2014

Lima Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

One of the things I
appreciate most is nourishing and delicious food. Nothing fancy, unheard of, or
too complicated. Sometimes, I crave just plain goodness. When I came upon Skye
Gyngell’s Chickpea and Chard Soup, it
spoke to me. I followed some of her methods but added and substituted some
ingredients to make my own version.

You might notice
that the ingredient list is spaced out. They are listed according to use. I
encourage you to read through the entire recipe first, before making the soup
to ensure that you have everything you need. I also used homemade vegetable
broth, which really is not too complicated to make.

Over the course of
a few weeks, collect scrap pieces of vegetables and save them in zip bags in
the freezer. For instance, the big broccoli or cauliflower stalks, cabbage
core, carrot tops, parsley or any herb stems, the ends of kale/collard
greens/Swiss chard stalks, onion peel and the thick first layer of the bulb,
and so on. When you have about two big bags full of veggie scraps, pull them
out of the freezer, dump them in a big pot, and cover with water. Then add more
fresh herbs if you have any that are just lying around (preferably thyme,
oregano, parsley, dill, rosemary, or sage), a few mashed cloves of garlic, one
or two bay leaves, a generous amount of salt, black peppercorns, and maybe some
olive oil (I forgot to add this in the latest broth that I made, it turned out
fine). Cover the pot, turn the heat on to medium, and bring the water to a
boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer, leave the pot partially
uncovered, and let it cook for 2-4 hours or until it takes on a murky green
color (sometimes it’s brownish). Let it sit for another hour or two until it
cools down and strain the liquid into a large container. Measure the broth into
cups and store in smaller containers in the freezer. Measuring it beforehand
will let you know how much is in each container so you just pull one or two out
as needed. Easy peasy!

This soup is
immensely satisfying. It has a bright lemony punch that is tampered by the
sharp richness of Parmesan cheese and the creamy bread pieces. After being
cooked for a long time, the lima beans take on a lovely, velveteen feel. The
softened Swiss chard leaves not only give the soup a boost of healthiness but
also add a pleasant touch of mild green flavors. And the stalks are there to
provide that perfect crunch. The mushrooms present a hint of earthy flavors and
texture variety. All these ingredients playing together in one pot make this
simple soup unforgettable. A big bowl or two is what you need to give yourself
some love.

Lima Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

Inspiration from My Favorite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell

1+1/8 cups (8 oz)
dry lima beans

3 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

juice of half a
large lemon

1 tablespoon olive
oil

Rinse the lima
beans. Place the beans in a medium size saucepan and cover with water. Sprinkle
with salt and toss in the bay leaf. Turn the heat on to medium high, cover, and
bring the beans to a boil. This will take about 7 minutes. Turn the heat down
to medium low and allow the beans to cook for about an hour. Partially uncover
the saucepan to keep it from boiling over, a thin sliver of opening for the
steam to come out is enough, otherwise the beans will dry out. Stir the beans
every now and then for even cooking. You will know that the beans are done when
they are tender all the way through as you bite into them. I suggest tasting 3
beans as some of them might be more done than the others. If your beans are not
done in an hour, add a few more minutes of cooking time.

When the beans are
cooked, drain the leftover water and move the cooked beans into a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the lemon juice and olive oil to dress the beans and mix well. Set
aside, until the soup mixture is ready.

Heat the olive oil
in a Dutch oven (which is what I used) or a large pot over medium heat. When
the oil is hot, toss in the garlic, mushrooms, parsley, and tarragon. Stir and
make sure everything gets coated with the oil then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of
salt. Stir every so often and cook for about 5 minutes until the mushroom
slices shrink and brown.

Add the diced
tomatoes in the mix and stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cover the Dutch oven and
allow the tomatoes to cook for 20 minutes. Stir the mixture every now and
then.

Pour in the
vegetable stock, stir, and cover. Cook the stock with the tomatoes for 10
minutes, which is just enough for the flavors to start coming together.

Add the beans and
simmer, covered, on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. If it starts to boil,
partially uncover the lid. After 30 minutes, remove the lid entirely and let
cook for 10 more minutes.

Toss in the Swiss
chard stalks and leaves into the Dutch oven. Stir and let cook for 5-6 minutes,
until the leaves begin to wilt and submerge into the soup.

Stir in the grated
Parmesan cheese. It will immediately form into globs so make sure to stir it
evenly amidst the leaves and beans. Then, toss in the bread pieces and stir.
Continue to cook on medium low heat, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. The
soup will magically thicken up as the bread disintegrates and the flavors will
almost immediately transform into something richer and fuller.

Turn off the burner
and move the Dutch oven away from the heat. Season with olive oil and freshly
cracked black pepper. The extra olive oil at the end works really well to
mellow out the lemony punch. However, if you like the soup the way it is, feel
free to omit the extra olive oil.

*Note on preparing Swiss chard:

Hold a Swiss chard
leaf stalk-side up. Use a sharp knife and slide it along the inner sides of the
stalk to separate the leaves. Cut the stalks into ½ inch chunks and tear the
Swiss chard leaves into big pieces.

About Me

Hello, my name is Margarita. I try to live a healthy lifestyle by eating well and working out. I am a cooking enthusiast and I like sharing my love for good food. Most of my recipes contain lots of vegetables and perhaps a bit of meat here and there. Staying active is one of the things that keep me sane. I love doing yoga, walking, hiking, biking, lifting weights, and occasional running. Join me in my food, travel, and life adventures and together let's eat well, cook right, live strong, and be healthy!